Put together the team, gather the supplies — we’re going in.

It’s not rocket science, but building websites and marketing materials definitely is a process, and one we take very seriously. We don’t want to create extra work or have to go back to the drawing board. So, we make sketches and mock ups and wireframes first. We pick out colors and build a palette. We wrap our heads around visual concepts that work.

While most of the tools we use to build a client’s brand are electronic, we also find that pencils, paper, and, occasionally, erasers are also very effective. We like to think on paper to clearly share our concepts and outline the plan of action we intend to pursue.

Our process for how we approach every new project consists of 3 phases. Clients with a clear vision, written content, and professional photography certainly move faster than those without, so project duration does vary.

We have lots of questions at the beginning of new projects. After we ask our questions and get your answers, we take everything that you have provided and digest it. We work very closely with clients during this planning phase, as we brainstorm about the basic look, content, structure, links, and any special site features. We strive to maintain an open discussion, so we can be sure our design fits your vision. Extremely thorough planning here leads to a much smoother construction.

This phase typically takes about 2 weeks. When everyone is clearly in agreement, client design approval (logo, colors, style, and structure of your site) triggers the next stage.

Next is the “nuts and bolts” phase of putting together your website. We build you a customized website using the your approved design, which includes building pages, setting up intuitive navigation, incorporating your look, and implementing custom features. If you have already written copy for the site, we start there and edit it with a focus on sound SEO practices. We don’t mind writing all your copy — as long as you don’t mind all of our questions!

The build phase takes 2-6 weeks. The time needed varies with the size and special features of the site, as well as how solid the content is when we get started. We’ll spare you the checklists, but suffice it to say that planning and testing are tasks we believe are well worth the effort.

This is when it all comes together. Once the structure of the site is complete, we load and format content — the text and images. Copywriting for a website requires attention to specific details. We write/edit to deliver your message as directly and persuasively as possible, while maintaining good SEO practices. Image quality makes a big difference in the overall feel of the site, which in turn impacts the client image. While stock photography (professional photography of product and location shots) is readily available online, sometimes the shots needed just are too specific for the mainstream offerings. We work hard to make sure the images we use deliver your vibe, no matter what the source.

After some methodical bug testing, the whole team gives the site a final look for any minor changes and then it is launch time. This final phase of the process may take as little as 2 weeks, but some bugs are more persistent than others.

The process for building an entire website may take 8-12 weeks or longer depending on the flow of information back and forth. The more efficient you are about providing information, opinions, and ultimately approvals, the shorter our process. Clients often start out with some ideas and there tends to be an evolution in their thinking along the way. We get it — some clients just need more time than others to digest. We want to build your website efficiently, but we really want you to love it!